A Discourse of Western Planting, by Richard Hakluyt

Chap. XX.

A briefe collection of certaine reasons to induce her Majestie and the state to take in hande the
westerne voyadge and the plantinge there.

1. The soyle yeldeth, and may be made to yelde, all the severall comodities of Europe, and of all kingdomes,
domynions, and territories that England tradeth withe, that by trade of marchandize cometh into this realme.

2. The passage thither and home is neither to longe nor to shorte, but easie, and to be made twise in the yere.

3. The passage cutteth not nere the trade of any prince, nor nere any of their contries or territories, and is a
safe passage, and not easie to be annoyed by prince or potentate whatsoever.

4. The passage is to be perfourmed at all times of the yere, and in that respecte passeth our trades in the Levant
Seas within the Straites of Juberalter, and the trades in the seas within the Kinge of Denmarkes Straite, and the
trades to the portes of Norwey and of Russia, &c.; for as in the south weste Straite there is no passage in somer
by lacke of windes, so within the other places there is no passage in winter by yse and extreme colde.

5. And where England nowe for certen hundreth yeres last passed, by the peculiar comoditie of wolles, and of later
yeres by clothinge of the same, hath raised it selfe from meaner state to greater wealthe and moche higher honour,
mighte, and power then before, to the equallinge of the princes of the same to the greatest potentates of this parte of
the worlde: it cometh nowe so to passe, that by the greate endevour of the increase of the trade of wolles in Spaine
and in the West Indies, nowe daily more and more multiplienge, that the wolles of England, and the clothe made of the
same, will become base, and every day more base then other; which, prudently weyed, yt behoveth this realme, yf it
meane not to returne to former olde meanes and basenes, but to stande in present and late former honour, glorye, and
force, and not negligently and sleepingly to slyde into beggery, to foresee and to plante at Norumbega or some like
place, were it not for any thing els but for the hope of the vent of our woll indraped, the principall and in effecte
the onely enrichinge contynueinge naturall comoditie of this realme. And effectually pursueinge that course, wee shall
not onely finde on that tracte of lande, and especially in that firme northwarde (to whome warme clothe shalbe righte
wellcome), an ample vente, but also shall, from the north side of that firme, finde oute knowen and unknowen ilandes
and domynions replenisbed with people that may fully vent the aboundance of that our comoditie, that els will in fewe
yeres waxe of none or of small value by forreine aboundaunce, &c.; so as by this enterprice wee shall shonne the
ymmynent mischefe hanginge over our heades, that els muste nedes fall upon the realme, without breache of peace or
sworde drawen againste this realme by any forreine state; and not offer our auncient riches to scornefull neighboures
at home, nor sell the same in effecte for nothinge, as wee shall shortly, if presently it be not provaided for. The
increase of the wolles of Spaine and America is of highe pollicie, with greate desire of our overthrowe, endevoured;
and the goodnes of the forren wolles our people will not enter into the consideration of, nor will not beleve aughte,
they be so sotted with opinion of their owne; and, yf it be not foresene and some such place of vent provided, farewell
the goodd state of all degrees in this realme.

6. This enterprise may staye the Spanishe Kinge from flowinge over all the face of that waste firme of America, yf
wee seate and plante there in time, in tyme I say, and wee by plantinge shall lett him from makinge more shorte and
more safe returnes oute of the noble portes of the purposed places of our plantinge, then by any possibilitie he can
from the parte of the firme that nowe his navies by ordinary courses come from, in this that there is no comparison
betwene the portes of the coastes that the Kinge of Spaine dothe nowe possesse and use, and the portes of the coastes
that our nation is to possesse by plantinge at Norumbega and on that tracte faste by, more to the northe and
northeaste, and in that there is from thence a moche shorter course, and a course of more temperature, and a course
that possesseth more contynuance of ordinary windes, then the present course of the Spanishe Indian navies nowe dothe.
And England possessinge the purposed place of plantinge, her Majestie may, by the benefete of the seate, havinge wonne
goodd and royall havens, have plentie of excellent trees for mastes, of goodly timber to builde shippes and to make
greate navies, of pitche, tarr, hempe, and all thinges incident for a navie royall, and that for no price, and withoute
money or request. Howe easie a matter may yt be to this realme, swarminge at this day with valiant youthes, rustinge
and hurtfull by lacke of employment, and havinge goodd makers of cable and of all sortes of cordage, and the best and
moste connynge shipwrights of the worlde, to be lordes of all those sees, and to spoile Phillipps Indian navye, and to
deprive him of yerely passage of his treasure into Europe, and consequently to abate the pride of Spaine and of the
supporter of the greate Antechriste of Rome, and to pull him downe in equalitie to his neighbour princes, and
consequently to cut of the common mischefes that come to all Europe by the peculiar aboundance of his Indian treasure,
and thiss withoute difficultie.

7. This voyadge, albeit it may be accomplished by barke or smallest pynnesse for advise or for a necessitie, yet for
the distaunce, for burden and gaine in trade, the marchant will not for profitts sake use it but by shippes of greate
burden; so as this realme shall have by that meane shippes of greate burden and of greate strengthe for the defence of
this realme, and for the defence of that newe seate, as nede shall require, and withall greate increase of perfecte
seamen, which greate princes in time of warres wante, and which kinde of men are neither nourished in fewe daies nor in
fewe yeres.

8. This newe navie of mightie newe stronge shippes, so in trade to that Norumbega and to the coastes there, shall
never be subjecte to arreste of any prince or potentate, as the navie of this realme from time to time hath bene in the
portes of the empire, in the portes of the Base Contries, in Spaine, Fraunce, Portingale, &c., in the tymes of
Charles the Emperour, Fraunces the Frenche kinge, and others: but shall be alwayes free from that bitter mischeefe,
withoute grefe or hazarde to the marchaunte or to the state, and so alwaies readie at the comaundement of the prince
with mariners, artillory, armor, and munition, ready to offende and defender as shalbe required.

9. The greate masse of wealthe of the realme imbarqued in the marchantes shippes, caried oute in this newe course,
shall not lightly, in so farr distant a course from the coaste of Europe, be driven by windes and tempestes into portes
of any forren princes, as the Spanishe shippes of late yeres have bene into our portes of the Weste Contries, &c.;
and so our marchantes in respecte of a generall safetie from venture of losse, are by this voyadge oute of one greate
mischefe.

10. No forren commoditie that comes into England comes withoute payment of custome once, twise, or thrise, before it
come into the realme, and so all forren comodities become derer to the subjectes of this realme; and by this course to
Norumbega forren princes customes are avoided; and the forren comodities cheapely purchased, they become cheape to the
subjectes of England, to the common benefite of the people, and to the savinge of greate treasure in the realme;
whereas nowe the realme become the poore by the purchasinge of forreine comodities in so greate a masse at so excessive
prices.

11. At the firste traficque with the people of those partes, the subjectes of the realme for many yeres shall
chaunge many cheape comodities of these partes for thinges of highe valor there not estemed; and this to the greate
inrichinge of the realme, if common use faile not.

12. By the greate plentie of those regions the marchantes and their factors shall lye there cheape, buye and repaire
their shippes cheape, and shall returne at pleasure withoute staye or restrainte of forreine prince; whereas upon
staies and restraintes the marchaunte raiseth his chardge in sale over his ware; and, buyenge his wares cheape, he may
mainteine trade with smalle stocke, and withoute takinge upp money upon interest; and so he shalbe riche and not
subjecte to many hazardes, but shalbe able to afforde the comodities for cheape prices to all subjectes of the
realme.

13. By makinge of shippes and by preparinge of thinges for the same, by makinge of cables and cordage, by plantinge
of vines and olive trees, and by makinge of wyne and oyle, by husbandrie, and by thousandes of thinges there to be don,
infinite nombers of the English nation may be set on worke, to the unburdenynge of the realme with many that nowe lyve
chardgeable to the state at home.

14. If the sea coste serve for makinge of salte, and the inland for wine, oiles, oranges, lymons, figges, &c.
and for makinge of yron, all which with moche more is hoped, withoute sworde drawen, wee shall cutt the combe of the
Frenche, of the Spanishe, of the Portingale, and of enemies, and of doubtfull frendes, to the abatinge of their wealthe
and force, and to the greater savinge of the wealthe of the realme.

15. The substaunces servinge, wee may oute of those partes receave the masse of wrought wares that now wee receave
out of Fraunce, Flaunders, Germanye, &c.: and so wee may daunte the pride of some enemies of this realme, or at the
leaste in parte purchase those wares, that nowe wee buye derely of the Frenche and Flemynge, better cheape; and in the
ende, for the part that this realme was wonte to receave, dryve them out of trade to idlenes for the settinge of our
people on worke.

16. Wee shall by plantinge there inlarge the glory of the gospell, and from England plante sincere religion, and
provide a safe and a sure place to receave people from all partes of the worlde that are forced to flee for the truthe
of Gods worde.

17. If frontier warres there chaunce to aryse, and if thereupon wee shall fortifie, yt will occasion the trayninge
upp of our youthe in the discipline of warr, and make a nomber fitt for the service of the warres and for the defence
of our people there and at home.

18. The Spaniardes governe in the Indies with all pride and tyranie; and like as when people of contrarie nature at
the sea enter into gallies, where men are tied as slaves, all yell and crye with one voice, Liberta, liberta,
as desirous of libertie and freedome, so no doubte whensoever the Queene of England, a prince of such clemencie, shall
seate upon that firme of America, and shalbe reported throughe oute all that tracte to use the naturall people there
with all humanitie, curtesie, and freedome, they will yelde themselves to her governemente, and revolte cleane from the
Spaniarde, and specially when they shall understande that she hath a noble navie, and that she aboundeth with a people
moste valiaunte for theyr defence. And her Majestie havinge Sir Fraunces Drake and other subjectes already in credite
with the Symerons, a people or greate multitude alreadye revolted from the Spanishe governmente, she may with them and
a fewe hundrethes of this nation, trayned upp in the late warres of Fraunce and Flaunders, bringe greate thinges to
passe, and that with greate ease; and this broughte so aboute, her Majestie and her subjectes may bothe enjoye the
treasure of the mynes of golde and silver, and the whole trade and all the gaine of the trade of marchandize, that none
passeth thither by the Spaniardes onely hande, of all the comodities of Europe; which trade of marchandise onely were
of it selfe suffycient (withoute the benefite of the rich myne) to inriche the subjectes, and by customes to fill her
Majesties coffers to the full. And if it be highe pollicie to mayneteyne the poore people of this realme in worke, I
dare affirme that if the poore people of England were five times as many as they be, yet all mighte be sett on worke in
and by workinge lynnen, and suche other thinges of marchandize as the trade in the Indies dothe require.

19. The present shorte trades causeth the maryner to be caste of and ofte to be idle, and so by povertie to fall to
piracie. But this course to Norumbega beinge longer, and a contynuance of the employmente of the maryner, dothe kepe
the maryner from ydlenes and necessitie; and so it cutteth of the principall actions of piracie, and the rather because
no riche praye for them to take cometh directly in their course or any thing nere their course.

20. Many men of excellent wittes and of divers singuler giftes, overthrowen by sea, or by some folly of youthe, that
are not able to live in England, may there be raised againe, and doe their contrie goodd service; and many nedefull
uses there may (to greate purpose) require the savinge of greate nombers, that for trifles may otherwise be devoured by
the gallowes.

21. Many souldiers and servitours, in the ende of the warres, that mighte be hurtfull to this realme, may there be
unladen, to the common profite and quiet of this realme, and to our forreine benefite there, as they may be
employed.

22. The frye of the wandringe beggars of England, that growe upp ydly, and hurtefull and burdenous to this realme,
may there be unladen, better bredd upp, and may people waste contries to the home and forreine benefite, and to their
owne more happy state.

23. If Englande crie oute and affirme, that there is so many in all trades that one cannot live for another, as in
all places they doe, this Norumbega (if it be thoughte so goodd) offreth the remedie.